Hair curler



June 11952 H. P. R. SOMMERS HAIR CURLER Filed June 21, 1949 bwlwbi AJTORNEY Patented June 10, 1952 HAIR CURLER Henry Paul Richard Summers, Wellesley Hills, Mass.

Application June 21, 1949, Serial No. 100,460

4Claims. (01. 122-33) This invention relates to hair curlers and has for its general object the provision of a novel and improved implement for curling the hair and for applying and securing pin curls in womens hair, in the preparation of a modern coiffure.

The present invention relates to the same general class of hair curlers as the one covered in my United States Patent No. 2,321,433, granted June 8, 1943, and reference is made to the specification of that patent for a full and complete discussion of the nature and functions of these implements, and descriptions of those features of construction which are common to the two inventions.

In its preferred embodiment, the present invention contemplates the provision of a rod-like combined curler and comb, although the comb obviously may be omitted without affecting the curler device located at the opposite end of the implement. The curler proper comprises a generally cylindrical rod made of wood, metal, or plastic and is preferably of polygonal, ribbed, or scalloped cross-section. The rod is hollowed out for some distance from the end and the annular walls thus provided are kerfed longitudinally to provide a pair of parallel slots upon either side of the cylindrical bore, within which a strand or hank of hair may be inserted before winding the curl.

'In' order to securely anchor the hair during the winding of the curl, and also to receive the curl retaining or locking means when one is used, there is provided a multi-toothed comb-like insert, socketed in the hollow end of the curler rod with its teeth or blades disposed edgewise of the parallel slots in the wall of the curler. The spaces between the blades or teeth of the retaining member are preferably quite narrow and the blades are preferably resilient; and the hair and the lock pin are effectively frictionally retained by the member until the curl is wound and re- I moved from the curler.

Other objects of the invention and features of novelty will be apparent from the following speci- 'fication when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a hair curler embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the curler:

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the curler;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side view of the novel comb-like friction retaining element forming an important part of the curler;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figures '7 and 8 are views showing two stages in the operation of the hair curler in curling a strand 0r tress of hair;

Figure 9 is an end view of the curler shown in Figure '7 Figures 10 and 11 are fragmentary views of the same curler showing two stages in the operation of the device in making a pin curl;

Figure 12 is an end view of Figure 10 taken at the level of the strandof hair; and

Figure 13 is a transverse sectional view through the operative end of another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 13 but taken at a point adjacent the folded head portion of the lock hair pin.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, the novel combination implement is designated generally by the reference numeral 10, and is seen to comprise the comb portion I l and the curler proper l2, these instrumentalities being formed at opposite ends of the implement for ready accessibility and use in dressing and curling the hair.

The novel hair curler l2 with which the present invention is chiefly concerned comprises an approximately cylindrical portion of the instrument of somewhat larger diameter than the intermediate shank or handle portion l3. The outer surface of the curler I2 is preferably provided with a plurality of ridges or ribs [5, or it may be provided with grooves or given a polygonal crosssection, if desired, to facilitate removal of the curl.

The curler end l2 of the rod-like implement I0 is provided with a cylindrical recess [6 and the resulting annular walls of the curler are kerfed longitudinally as at H for the entire depth of the cylindrical opening, the kerfs being gradually widened as at I8 to provide a divergin entrance.

At thev inner end of the cylindrical recess 16 slots i lias clearly shown in Figure 10.

there is provided an extension in the form of a socket l9 preferably of rectangular cross section. Into this socket there is secured the rectangular shank or butt portion 2| of a toothed or bladed comb-like member 29. The end 2| maybe inserted in the socket 19 with a force fit or it may be cemented therein with a suitable adhesive.

The member 28 may be made of metal, wood, bamboo, plastic, or any other suitable material and is provided with a number of flat thin blades or teeth 22 which are resilient and disposed fairly closely together. These teeth 22 are approximately coterminous with the slots H, are dis- Figure 10.

One method of utilization of the improved. curler is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings. A portion of the end of a hank othair;

to be curled is impaled on the points of themul'ti toothed comb-like retainer member .20 and. is.

pushed into the slots or kerfs I1 of the curler I2. The hank or strand of hair is divided by the 61011.- gated teeth of the comb,.a few hairs entering the narrow'spaces between each pair of teeth and frictionally held there, as indicated in Figured The-curler rod is then rotatedand the curl 26 is wound thereon as clearly shown in Figure 8, whereuponit may be pulledoffiof the curler and set-in placein the usual way bymeans-of pins.

In Figures 10, l1 and 12, there is-illustrated'a mode of. making and-securing a curl in which a lock hair pin is employed, such-a pin itself being afeatu-re f. th'einvention covered-by my prior United statesi Patent No. 2,321,433; The lock pin 30 comprises a doubled pieceof. flexible paper, cardboard; fiber, thin metal, or plastic; having a somewhat T-shaped or Y-shaped configuration;

bend in the hair and thus serve to frictionally retain the hair during the winding operation. If desired, the comb-like friction element may be omitted, the zig-zag configuration of the slots 34 serving to frictionally retain the hank of hair.

In Figure 14, there is illustrated a curler exactly like the one shown in Figure 13 but utilized as the one depicted in Figures 10, 11, and 12, the lock hair pin 30 being employed. In this case, the wing- -like folded head 32 of the hair pin is forced to assume an S-shaped configuration in the zig-zag slots 34 and this increases the frictional holding of: the pin'as well as of'the strand of hair; Otherwise, the constructionand operation is the same as that described in connection with Figures 10-12.

. herein. without departing from the scope of the the shankportion 33- being inserted lengthwise into 'the 'openend of the curler !2, the doubled thickness being receivedbetween certainof the.

centralblades orjteeth 22-of the retaining member 26, and the wider creasedor folded crossportion '32 of. the .pin projecting laterally through .the

The hank or strand of hair 25 is passed in to the slots'and betweenthe. teeth of the comb member- '23? also, just as in. the method illustrated in Figures 7 to 9, and the curl 26i'is wound'on thecurler element l2 above. the projecting ends" of the head 32 o'fthe lock pin 30. When the curl 26 isslidofi of' the curler it strikes these projecting ends and p'ull's the pin 3fl out of the curler recess and the curl is safely held 'upon the pin; Then the. doubled shank portions 31 maybe separated, spread apart upon the opposite side of the curl from the creased headercross portion 32; and

fsecuredin such spread position by means; of a straightpin or wire threaded through-theih'oles 33 in. the same mannerasfully described inmy aboveam'entionedpaten't No. 2,321,433.

In Figure 13, there'isi'll-ustrated a haircurler havinga; tubular curling portion 33 with-some.- w-hat thicker walls than the first described'embodiment. Atoothed 'elementsimilar to theone -'shown at 2fl.in the first described embodiment-is shown at- 35.

- invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claimis:

l. A' hair curling implement comprising an elongated rod about which a strand of hair may be wound to form a curl; said rod having a socket in one'end thereof; and a comb-like retainer member for frictionallyreceiving-a portion of the strand :of hair during winding of the curl, said member. comprising a solid. butt end rigidly received in said socket and a plurality of parallel, elongated, closely spaced, flat reed-like blades having, free outer ends between which portions of the strand of hair maybe resiliently clamped.

2. A hair curling implement comprising an elongated rod about which a strand of hair may be: wound toform a curl, said rod being hollow for a considerable distance inwardly from one 7 end thereof, comb-like retaining means for a hank of hair to be curled, said retaining means comprising at least three resilient, parallel, closely-spaced teeth secured togetherand fixed within the hollow-interiorof said rod at their inner ends, andhaving their outer ends free of contact with each'lother and with the'rod, and openings in the walls of said hollow rod for entrance of the hair to be clamped .between the teeth of said retaining means. the; severalteeth serving to divide the ber for receiving said shank'portion and at least three parallel, closely spaced-elongated blades having free outerends extending from said shank portion tothe open end of sa-id tubular portion of the'member, the pluralrspacing betweenthe blades being in' transverse alignment with the sl'otsinthe walls of said member, whereby the hair may be introduced through the slots and a plurality-of separate sections thereof ,frictionally retained between the severalibla'des; v

4. A hair curling implementof the class described comprising an' elongated rod-like implement having -a 1 substantially cylindrical aoperative end portion,- sai'd' end portionabeingof rigid-and V non-articulated construction and made hollow to provide a single fixed relatively thick annular wall, a pair of longitudinally extending diametrically opposed slots in said wall extending from the end of said member to a point spaced inwardly therefrom, said slots being smooth-walled and planar but lying in difierent but parallel transverse planes, whereby the slots and the hollow interior of the implement provide a zig-zag frictional hair retaining passageway in the curler and a retaining member disposed within the hollow interior of said implement for also receiving the hair.

HENRY PAUL RICHARD SOMMERS'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 420,574 Guertin Feb. 4, 1890 2,073,815 Solomon Mar. 16, 1937 2,105,571 Williams Jan. 18, 1938 2,153,133 Cuomo Apr. 4, 1939 2,197,821 Webster Apr. 23, 1940 2,321,433 Sommers June 8, 1943 2,362,399 Plate NOV. 7, 1944 

